Drill bit nozzles



J1me 1954 A. w. CRAWFORD ETAL DRILL BIT NOZZLES 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 11, 1960 AuyuJ fa: W Crawford [/wn 6. 50/ c e m W m wm wm C m wdu w I J1me 1954 'A. w. CRAWFORD ETAL 37, 54

DRILL BIT NOZZLES Filed Jan. .11, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 AuyuJfz/J VV (raw/awe 5/100 6. Bone INVENTORJ BY i. M m-Jr g 3,137,354 Patented June 16, 1964 United States Patent ()fl 3,137,354 DRILL BIT NOZZLES Augustus W. Crawford and Eivin G. Boice, Houston, Tex., assiguors to Reed Roller Bit Company, Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed Jan. 11, 1960, Ser. No. 1,794 Claims. (Ci. 175-340) This invention relates generally to roller drilling bits and more particularly to drilling-fluid nozzles therefor.

In the drilling of deep wells, a rotary bit is connected to the lower end of a drill stem which is rotated to cause the drill bit rollers to roll upon the bottom of a bore hole and thereby cut or crush the formation being encountered. A drilling fluid is pumped downwardly through the drill stem and bit and rises upwardly in the annular space between the drill stem and the wall of the hole to the surface of the earth. One of the most important desired functions of the drilling fluid'thus circulating is quickly to remove the cut or crushed particles of the formation from the bottom areas of the bore hole and from the rollers and adjacent parts of the bit.

This invention has for one of its general objects the provision of a new and improved fluid nozzle arrangement to perform the desired function of quickly removing the particles of formation from the bottom areas of the bore hole and from around the drill bit.

Another object is to provide a new and improved roller drill bit having drilling fluid circulating means which will clean the bottom of the hole more efficiently and which will alleviate the recutting of formation particles after they have been dislodged from the formation.

Another object is to provide a drill bit having a drilling fluid nozzle arrangement to direct fluid to-agitate more thoroughly formation cuttings in the bottom of the bore hole. I

Another object is to provide a new and improved fluid nozzle arrangement wherein some or all of the nozzles may be individually positioned to direct fluid to imping the formation in preselectedpcircular paths.

Another object is to provide a new and improved drill The bit head 2 has a plurality of downwardly extending the lower ends of the fluid passageways 9. are provided fluid nozzles 10, 11 and 12'which direct fluid to one side of the said cutters. These'nozzles usually are composed of tungsten carbide or other wear resistant'material so that they are not easily eroded away by the action of the drilling fluid passing therethrough.

Referring to FIG. 4, the nozzle 11 is shown positioned Y within the lower end of the passageway 9. 'The wall of the passageway 9 may have an annular groove 13 therein,

within which is positioned an annular seal 14 which may be composed .of rubber or the like to prevent fluid leakage between the nozzle and the wall of the passageway 9.

The nozzle 11 is generally of cylindrical exteriorconfiguration and has a bore 15 extending therethrough. The axis of, the bore 15 describesan angle' with the cylindrical axis of the nozzle. The nozzle 11 may have its periphery formed withaplurality of spaced depressions or sockets 16 to successively receive the inner end of the'set screw 18, whereby the nozzle may beheld in any one of a The spacing of four socknumber of angular positions. ets or depressions is illustrated by FIG. 8, but it will be understood that any number of sockets and any spacing thereof may be employed, depending upon the angles at which the passageway 15 of the nozzle 11 is to be held. Or, if desired, an annular groove such as the groove28 disclosed by FIGS. 6 and 7 may be employed.

Thebit head 2 has a threaded bore 17 which extends radially from the'passageway 9 to the exterior surface of The set screw 18 serves to hold the'nozzle 11 in a predetermined axial and angular position within the passageway 9. The bore 15 of the nozzle 11 directs drilling fluid passing therethr0ugh at an angle downwardly and inwardly with respect to the cylindrical axis of the nozzle 11.

In FIG. 5, the nozzle 10 is shown having a bore 21' therethrough. As can be seen, the axis of the bore 21 describes an angle with the cylindrical axis of the nozzle ing description and the accompanying drawings in:which:

FIG. 1 is a bottom plan view of a cone-type Well drilling bit.

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view, shown partly in sec-- tion, of the drill bit shown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken generally on line 33 of FIG. 1 and with a portion of the bit being shown rotated into the plane of the paper to illustrate the operating relationship of some of the drill bit parts.

FIGS. 4, 5 and 6 are enlarged'broken sectional views showing arrangements of nozzles in the fluid passageways of the drill bit.

FIG. 7 is the view taken on line 77 of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a view taken on line 8-8 of FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGS. 1, 2 and 3, a drill bit is shown generally at 1 comprising a bit head 2 and a threaded shank 3, extending upwardly from the 'bit head 2, for attachment to the lower end of a drill stem (not shown) The threaded shank3 has a chamber 4 therein for the reception of drilling fluid.

10 and is positioned to direct drilling fluid downwardly and outwardly with respect to the cylindrical axis of the nozzle 10. The nozzle 10 is held, positioned and sealed in the fluid passageway 9 in a manner similar to that of the nozzle 11. abovedescribed. I

In FIGS. 6 and 7, a nozzle 12 is shown having an bore 22 therethrough which will direct drilling fluid substantially parallel tothe cylindrical axis of the nozzle 12. The nozzle 12 may be shaped as at 28 and is held and sealed in a manner similar to that of nozzles 10 and 11 previously described. i

In operation, a drilling fluid is pumped downwardly throughthe drill stem (not shown) and enters the cham her 4 of the drill bit 1. The drilling fluid then enters the passageways 9 and is directed through the nozzles 10,

fluid in a direction shown by the arrow 23. Thus the drilling fluid impinges the bottom 24 of the bore hole in a circular path, as the drill bit is rotated. This path is near the wall 25 of the bore hole, and thefluid will Upon threading the set' screw 18 intotheaxial clean a track made by the outer, or heel, teeth of the roller cutters 6, 7 and 8.

As is shown in FIG. 3, the nozzle will impinge fluid in a circular path upon the wall 25 of the bore hole in a direction shown by the arrow 26. The impingement of the fluid issuing from the nozzle 10 thus describes a path radially outboard from that described by the nozzle 12, as the bit is rotated. The nozzle 11 directs fluid substantially as shown by the arrow 27. Thus the nozzle 11, as the bit is rotated, impinges drilling fluid in a circular path on the bottom 24 of the bore hole, which path is inboard and diflerent from the paths of the fluid issuing from the nozzles 11) or '12.

This nozzle arrangement provides for more cflective cleaning of the bottom portion of the bore hole in that r the fluid issuing from the nozzles cleans and agitates the cuttings from a radially wide circular path.

Depending upon the formations being encountered and the existing drilling conditions, it may be desirable to utilize the nozzles 10 and 12, for instance, so that a large portion of the drilling fluid would not impinge upon the cutters 6, 7 and 8-. If the drilling fluid does not possess a high sand content or other abrasive material, one or more of the nozzles 11 may be utilized so that some of the drilling fluid may be directed between the cutters 6, 7 and 8 and in a circular path which is nearer to the longitudinal axis of the bore hole. It will be apparent that the nozzles 10 and 11 may be turned within the passageways 9 and then secured by the set screws 18 to provide for various fluid flow patterns.

This invention is not limited to the embodiment shown. Other arrangements within the scope of the following claims will occur to those skilled in the art.

We claim: I

1. In a rotary drill bit, a bit head having roller cutters mounted thereon and a downwardly directed drilling fluid passageway, a cylindrical wear-resistant nozzle in the lower end of said passageway, the said nozzle having a bore therethrough, the axis of the said bore being at an angle with respect to the cylindrical axis of the said nozzle, an annular seal between the nozzle and the wall of the said passageway, the exterior of the said nozzle having a plurality of circumferentially disposed seating depressions, the said head having a threaded bore extending radially from the said passageway to the exterior of the head, a self-locking set screw in the said threaded bore, the inner end of the said set screw adapted to seat in the said seating depressions to retain the said nozzle within the bit head in a predetermined axial and angular position.

2.. In a rotary drill bit, a bit head having roller cutters mounted thereon and a downwardly directed drilling fluid passageway, a cylindrical wear-resistant nozzle in the lower end of said passageway, the said nozzle having a bore therethrough, the axis of the said bore being at an angle with respect to the cylindrical axis of the said nozzle, an annular seal between the nozzle and the wall of the said passageway, the exterior of the said nozzle being formed with circumferentially disposed seating means,

the said head having a threaded bore extending radially.

from the said passageway to the exterior of the head, a self-locking set screw in the said threaded bore, the inner end of the said set screw adapted to seat in the said seating means to retain the said nozzle within the bit head in a predetermined axial and angular position.

3. In a rotary drill bit, a bit head having roller cutters mounted thereon and a plurality of downwardly directed drilling fluid passageways, a cylindrical wear-resistant nozzle in the lower end of each of said passageways, each of the said nozzles having a bore therethrough, the axis of at least one of the said bores being at an angle with respect to the cylindrical axis of the said nozzle, an annular seal between the nozzle and the wall of the said passageway, the exterior of the said nozzles having circumferentially spaced seating depressions, the said head having a threaded bore extending radially from each of the said passageways to the exterior of the head, a selflocking set screw in each of the said threaded bores, the inner ends of the said set screws adapted to seat in the said depressions to retain the said nozzles within the bit head in a predetermined axial and angular position.

4. In a rotary drill bit, a bit head having a plurality of roller cutters mounted thereon and a plurality of downwardly directed drilling fluid passageways, a cylindrical wear-resistant nozzle in'the lower end of each of the said passageways, each of the said nozzles having a bore there through, an annular seal between each of the nozzles and its passageway, the exterior of each of the nozzles having a plurality of circumferentially disposed seating depressions the said head having a threaded bore extending. radially from each of the passageways to the exterior of the said head, a set screw in each of the threaded bores, the inner end of the set screws adapted to seat in the said seating depressions to retain the nozzles within the said passageways, the axes of the bores of at least two of the said bores being at an angle with respect to the cylindrical axis of the nozzle, the said seating depressions of each of the said two nozzles being also in the bit head and cooperating with said set screws to retain said nozzles in a predetermined axial and angular position.

5. In a rotary drill bit, a bit head having roller cutters mounted thereon and a downwardly directed drilling fluid passageway, a wear-resistant nozzle in the lower end of said passageway, the said nozzle having a substantially cylindrical outside diameter and a bore therethrough, the axis of the said bore being at an angle with respect to the cylindrical axis of the said nozzle, an annular seal between the nozzle and the wall of the said passageway; the exterior of the said nozzle being provided with a plurality of circumferentially disposed seating depressions,

the said head having a threaded bore extending radially from the said passageway to the exterior of the head, a set screw in the said threaded bore, the inner end of the said set screw adapted to seat in the said depressions to retain the said nozzle within the bit head in a predetermined axial and angular position. 1

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

5. IN A ROTARY DRILL BIT, A BIT HEAD HAVING ROLLER CUTTERS MOUNTED THEREON AND A DOWNWARDLY DIRECTED DRILLING FLUID PASSAGEWAY, A WEAR-RESISTANT NOZZLE IN THE LOWER END OF SAID PASSAGEWAY, THE SAID NOZZLE HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY CYLINDRICAL OUTSIDE DIAMETER AND A BORE THERETHROUGH, THE AXIS OF THE SAID BORE BEING AT AN ANGLE WITH RESPECT TO THE CYLINDRICAL AXIS OF THE SAID NOZZLE, AN ANNULAR SEAL BETWEEN THE NOZZLE AND THE WALL OF THE SAID PASSAGEWAY, THE EXTERIOR OF THE SAID NOZZLE BEING PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF CIRCUMFERENTIALLY DISPOSED SEATING DEPRESSIONS, THE SAID HEAD HAVING A THREADED BORE EXTENDING RADIALLY FROM THE SAID PASSAGEWAY TO THE EXTERIOR OF THE HEAD, A SET SCREW IN THE SAID THREADED BORE, THE INNER END OF THE SAID SET SCREW ADAPTED TO SEAT IN THE SAID DEPRESSIONS TO RETAIN THE SAID NOZZLE WITHIN THE BIT HEAD IN A PREDETERMINED AXIAL AND ANGULAR POSITION. 